How much money you spend on groceries is determined by several factors, including the number of people living in your home, the stores you frequent, and the food items you purchase. The very act of entering a supermarket can be enough to make you spend more than you intended. But we have some advice for you if you want to cut costs when buying groceries.
These tips will lower your food shopping spending & will also give you relief when the cashier makes your bill!
So, here’s how to save money on food shopping!
How to Save Money on Food Shopping?
Here are some ways you can reduce your grocery bill if you’re experiencing sticker shock:
1) Plan & Make A List & Stick To It!
Some consumers visit the supermarket without first checking their pantries. Verify your fridge and pantry before buying extra groceries. Take a photo of what you have on hand, and make a list of what you’ll need.
2) Buy Store Brands
If you are unwilling to change where you shop, consider modifying your shopping habits. It is among the simplest ways to save money on groceries. Typically, you can save up to 30 percent by purchasing store brands without clipping coupons.
If you do not enjoy it, you should return to the national brand. Almost every store will refund or exchange store-brand products for national brands.
3) Limit Your Shopping Trips
Steve and Annette Economides, authors of MoneySmartFamily.com, say that it also helps to limit the number of times per week that you go shopping. The couple argues that reducing their store visits will reduce their chances of making unnecessary purchases.
4) Join A Wholesale Club
You can save a lot of money by shopping at warehouse clubs like Costco. Having a large family means you may benefit from joining a wholesale club. However, keep in mind that not everyone can benefit financially from buying in bulk because of the higher initial investment required despite the larger savings in the long run.
5) Buy Items On Sale
Everything from milk and eggs to ice cream and cookies is on sale at supermarkets regularly. You should always look for sales, and if the regular price is high, you should seriously consider buying the item on sale. Products on sale are typically showcased in high-traffic areas of the store, such as the storefront and aisle exits.
6) Do Not Buy Pre-packaged Foods
To save time in the kitchen, many people choose to purchase pre-cut vegetables or pre-shredded cheese, but these cost more. To cut costs, go for whole foods such as frozen or fresh vegetables and blocks of cheese.
7) Know When To Shop
Timing is everything when it comes to finding a great deal. For example, food prices tend to drop on Wednesdays, according to many experts. This is due to the fact that supermarkets stock up on fresh goods midweek and discount their unsold stock from the previous week.
While they are in the process of updating their sales, you may still receive last week’s discounted prices.
8) Try Meatless Mondays
Typically, meat is the most pricey part of a meal. You can save money and still eat well by cooking vegetarian meals. (Hint: if you really can’t give up meat altogether, make it a side dish and eat less of it by making chicken, steak, and fish an afterthought.)
9) Don’t Shop When You’re Hungry
When people are hungry, they tend to make irrational decisions. They walk the grocery store aisles like zombies, say things they don’t mean, and eat all of their roommate’s chips.
If you go shopping for food while already full, you may be surprised at how much money you save.
10) Don’t Buy Serving Size Portions
Buying your favorite items in a larger size can help you save significant money. Sure, individual servings of yogurt in little cups are super handy, but packaging goods in such exact amounts is more expensive. So instead, you should buy a nice set of reusable containers, stock up on the standard-sized packages, and portion them out yourself.
11) Collect Coupons & Use Them
Sunday newspapers were once required for clipping grocery coupons. However, you can now expect to find Sunday coupon circulars in your mailbox each week.
To find out, just look at the circulars you’ve been tossing out.
12) Use Credit Cards Strategically
If you use a credit card, see if you can get any kind of rebate or other rewards for buying groceries with that card. Of course, spending limits and shifting category names are just two of the nitty-gritty details that will need to be recorded. However, rewards credit cards can offer returns of 2% to 6%, which can save you hundreds of dollars annually on food.
13) Shop Alone
You’ll likely be persuaded to buy things you don’t need if you bring your kids or significant other shopping. So don’t give in to peer pressure; instead, go shopping alone and only buy what you need.
14) Buy Frozen When You Can
There is a common misconception that frozen food is less healthy than fresh. On the contrary, frozen produce is a great money-saving alternative to out-of-season fruits and vegetables because it is preserved at its peak quality. In addition, they save money in the long run while also being more durable. Totally a win-win situation!
15) Compare Prices
If you have access to multiple supermarkets in your area, you may want to shop at each one and compare prices. You can find out which shop sells the things you need at the lowest prices and check out any current sales they may have. In addition, you could save money by splitting your grocery shopping between two stores if doing so is convenient.
Bottom Line
This was all about how to save money on food shopping. Your monthly grocery bill can be reduced, your budget can be maintained, and your financial goals can be attained more quickly if you adopt a few simple new habits & tips that we mentioned.
Thank you for reading!